Villa Maria Panigai

Villa Maria Spumanti

A family that dates its vines to 1080, an agriturismo in Farra di Soligo, and one of the gentlest Cartizze prices we have found.

Most families in Prosecco count their history in generations. The Conti Panigai count theirs in centuries. Their own account begins in 1080, when, they say, the family was already growing vines along the Linea dei Castellieri. Today the estate is at Via San Francesco 15 in Farra di Soligo, in the hills between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, around a neoclassical villa from the late 1700s. Falcomario Panigai is the current heir. The old farm buildings were restored in the early 2000s, and the place now works as a winery, an agriturismo with rooms and a restaurant all at once.

At a glance

The story

First, a friendly word for anyone who arrived here by accident: this is not Villa Maria Estate of New Zealand. Different hemisphere, different family, same two words, and the search engines have never quite forgiven either of them for it.

This Villa Maria works as a closed chain from vine to bottle, with its own 40 hectares, its own cellar and solar power running that cellar. It makes up to 100,000 bottles a year, which in Prosecco terms is a family business with a serious wine list, not an industrial one.

The winery's own pages talk about the Rive di Farra di Soligo. Rive is the local word for the steep hillside slopes, and on a Prosecco label it means a single named hillside and a vintage year. None of Villa Maria's wines carries a Rive name, but it tells you what kind of ground this is.

The wine people will search for is the Cartizze. Cartizze is the small, steep hill above Valdobbiadene, just over 100 hectares, and the nearest thing Prosecco has to a grand cru. It is the most expensive wine on Villa Maria's list, and still remarkably kind next to its neighbours, as you will see below.

The labels borrow from the family story. The still red shares its name with the heir, Falcomario, and the rosé is called 1080, the year the family's account begins. That is a thousand years of history on a label without a single paragraph of brochure prose.

What to drink

The winery publishes no sugar figures, so here is the rule of thumb. Brut is the driest of the usual styles, at up to 12 g/l. Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut, and Dry is sweeter still. It's backwards, everyone knows it's backwards, and nobody is going to change it now.

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut (DOCG). The dry one, for the table. Listed at €9.80 in the winery's shop (roughly $11).

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry (DOCG). The softer, rounder style, for aperitivo. Listed at €9.80 (roughly $11).

Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze, Dry (DOCG). The famous hill, in its traditional generous style. Listed at €16.80 (roughly $19).

Menzione 1882, Extra Brut. A vintage-dated sparkling cuvée, and the driest of the sparkling wines by its label. It is not labelled Prosecco. Listed at €8.80 (roughly $10).

The shop also lists the 1080 Rosé, a Brut sparkling rosé that is not Prosecco, at €8.60 (roughly $10), and Tasìn, a white frizzante, at €4.70 (roughly $5). Lorèr, a still white, and Falcomario, a still red, round out the range.

Prices: euro prices are what the winery or an Italian retailer charges, with a rough dollar figure at about $1.14 to the euro (October 2026). In the US, expect more on the shelf once shipping, the 15% tariff on EU wine, importer and distributor margins and taxes are added.

Where it fits

Villa Maria is the Cartizze for people who want to try Cartizze without a ceremony. Gemin sells its Cartizze Dry for about €25 at the winery, and Zucchetto's nearly bone-dry version has been listed above €30. Villa Maria's is €16.80. If you are planning a trip rather than an order, it has another advantage: you can taste, eat and sleep in the same place, which in the Prosecco hills, where every good bottle seems to be at the top of a hairpin bend, is no small mercy.

Where to buy

• At the winery: the full range, in the online shop and on site.
• US and UK: we found no importer or retailer. If you know one, tell us.

Visiting

The winery is open Monday to Saturday. In winter the producer's hours are 8:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:30; other sources give different times, so call ahead. The family offers four experiences: Serenella, a tasting and winery visit; Massimilla, which adds a meat and cheese board and the vineyard; Rambaldo, with a light lunch; and the Villa Maria Experience, a tasting on the terrace. The producer publishes no prices for these. The agriturismo listing gives two tastings with prices: Saccon, 40 minutes, €10, and Brolo, 60 minutes, €20. Book on +39 0438 801121 or at info@villamaria-spumanti.it. Rooms and the restaurant are on site.

Quick answers

Is Villa Maria Prosecco the same as Villa Maria New Zealand? No. This Villa Maria belongs to the Panigai family in Farra di Soligo, in the Prosecco hills. Villa Maria Estate is a separate New Zealand winery.

Where is Villa Maria Panigai? At Via San Francesco 15, Farra di Soligo, in the province of Treviso, between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano.

Can you stay at Villa Maria? Yes. The estate runs an agriturismo with rooms and a restaurant, alongside the winery's tastings.

Sources

• villamaria-spumanti.it: home, the estate, the wines
• prosecco.it: Villa Maria
• agriturismi.it: Agriturismo Villa Panigai

Last checked: October 2026

The Prosecco Desk: the Proseccotists behind Bella Principessa Prosecco. We love this region and write about the families who make it. Producers do not pay to be listed.